Religion in the Modern World for Hindu Places - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theReligion in the Modern World for Hindu Places. Answer: Data The religion that I profess and practice is the Christian religion. The sites that I visited personally were the Muslim and Hindu places of worship. The Muslim site that was visited was the mosque known as the Masjid Sultan. This mosque is located in the vicinity of Kampong Glam. The street where it stands is Muscat Street. I visited the mosque on the 28th of September, 2017 at two oclock in the afternoon. The other site that was visited is the Hindu Temple known as Sri Mariamman. This Temple is located in Chinatown. I visited the site personally on the 27th September, 2017 at ten in the morning. Site Description Masjid Sultan- The inside consists of the main hall where congregants assemble every Friday for prayers. There is also an annex which caters for the overflow in case the main hall is full. The decorations on the walls inside the mosque are words from the holy Quran, written in Arabic. On the outside, there is a minaret from where calls to prayer are made. There is a dome covered with gold and on its top stands the crescent moon and star. There is also a place for ceremonial washing before prayers. The two distinct features that manifest the integration of Islamic practice and belief are place of washing and the crescent and star. Sri Mariamman- The inside consists of the main hall for prayers where three deities are located: Shiva, Ganesh and Durga. The shrine housing Shiva is preeminent amongst the others. There are statutes of the five Pandavas close by which are overshadowed by the statue of Lord Krishna (Halverson 1996).On the outside there is a flagpole which is used to raise the flag during major festivals. The top of the Temple is decorated with tiers of sculptures of Hindu gods. There is also a spire that juts out amongst the sculptured deities on the outside. The two distinct features are the spire and the many sculptured deities that give representation of Hindu beliefs and practices. Reflection- Significance of meanings Masjid Sultan-The washing place on the outside has significance in the Quran which stipulates that practitioners must be ceremonially clean before entering the mosque. At home, they are also required to be clean before reading the Quran (Noss 2008). They are required to do a partial ablution which includes the washing of hands and feet. Every mosque is expected to make provision for this element of practice. The crescent moon is important as it is the representation of the moon which signals the start of the holy month of Ramadan. This month is considered to be important in reconnecting Muslims back to Allah through fasting, charity and prayers. Sri Mariamman- The spire which is known as the shikhara which means mountain has significance for the Hindu adherent. Hindus believe that gods reside in the mountains and the spire symbolizes this by pointing upwards. It also symbolizes that the devotee should ascend upwards in their devotion and enlightenment (Ellwood McGraw 2009). The sculptured gods serve to remind the devotee that they worship many gods. The multiple gods all ultimately represent the absolute supreme referred to as Brahman. The multiplicity of the sculptured gods allows for inclusion and gives freedom as to which god one can fellowship with and worship. Significance- Social impact Masjid Sultan- The mosques serves different purposes in the society. It is used as a place where Muslim weddings are officiated. It also serves as the primary distribution point from where alms collected are distributed to the poor (Braswell 1996). This makes justice available to the common man without resorting to the instituted laws of the land. When Muslims need arbitration on personal issue, it serves as the first place where they meet. Noss (2008), states that Islamic studies are also given here with the aim of increasing the understanding of the adherents concerning Islam. Seminars, literary discussions are given at the mosque regularly. Evers (2008) states that charity given to the poor during Ramadan helps build social integration with other cultures and religions. Sri Mariamman- The temple serves as the registry of Hindu marriages performed in Singapore. It equally serves as a place of refuge and social orientation for new Hindu migrants into Singapore. The annex that is built nearby the main Temple is a multi-purpose centre for different activities. Hindu owners of companies can use the annex to host corporate meetings instead of commercial hotels. Companies can also book the annex for seminars. The management of the Temple regularly organizes seminars where the devotees are taught about the religion. Cornille (2008) asserts that Hindu festivals in which outsiders are allowed to come in visit helps bring about greater social integration with other communities and religions. References Braswell, G, 1996, The Prophet Muhammad: The man and his mission, In Islam: its prophets, peoples, politics and power, Tennesse, Broadman Holman. Cornille, C, 2008, Common external challenges, In The impossibility of interreligious dialogue, New York, Herder Herder. Evers, G, 2008, Trends and developments in interreligious dialogue, Studies in Interreligious Dialogue, 18(2), 228-242 Ellwood, R. S., McGraw, B. A, 2009, Hinduism Life against time, In Many Peoples, many faiths (9th ed.), New Jersey, Pearson Education. Halverson, D, 1996, Hinduism, in the compact guide to world religions, Bloomington, MN, Bethany House Noss, D, 2008, the faith and practice of Islam, in A history of the worlds religions (12th Ed), New Jersey, Pearson.